Feeling under the weather is a perfectly acceptable reason to postpone a date. But Katie, 30, who was recovering from a cold and had the sore throat to prove it, still met up with Tommy, 28, for drinks and shared tapas at the buzzing Spanish restaurant, Salinas, in Chelsea. Could good conversation cure Katie’s ills, or were they both sick of each other by the time the night ended?

He said:

When I arrived, the hostess brought me to the table where I saw a friendly, cute girl. Katie was a bit nervous but we quickly jumped into conversation, her scratchy throat and all.

She told me a story about a date from the night before, and why it ended badly. If I had been interested in her romantically, I would have been turned off but it fit into our conversation as two friends sharing.

Salinas was great for a first date — intimate with energy. The wait staff was attentive and gave great recommendations like codorniz con manzana (crispy quail wrapped with bacon).

Katie had a great personality. We bonded over roommate stories and her scratchy voice grew on me. It wasn’t a romantic connection , but we had a great time.

She said:

Tommy walked up behind me. He’s not my usual type, but he had one of my favorite things: a great smile. I also found out he’s two years younger; I usually date older men.

We shared a lot of food at Salinas, which was a great way for us to interact. Neither of us was picky, and Tommy even tried my rosemary-infused tequila cocktail.

From soap operas to running, Tommy and I had a lot in common, and we never had a problem talking, even with my sore throat.

Since this was not a traditional date, I was OK with paying my part of the tip, but Tommy would not let me. And he asked for my number at the end; I was happy to give it. We won’t hang out again romantically but maybe we can be running buddies. I was glad to have met Tommy.